Gate.



PATBNTED JULY 14, 1903.

H. TERRY,

GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

s PETERS co, PNOT wAsHmsTou n c No. 733,684. PATENTED JULY 14-, 1903. H.TERRY.

GATE.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 16, 1903.

HO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented July 14, 1903.

i ATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM TERRY, OF HEREFORD, TEXAS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 733,684, dated July14, 1903.

Application filed January 16,1903. Serial No. 139,311.

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM TERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hereford, in the county of Deaf Smith and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Gate,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to gates, and is especially directed to gates whichare adapted to swing downward from a vertical to a horizontal positionand lie flush with the surface of the ground in position for a vehicleto pass over the same, and has for its object to provide a simple andefficient mechanism operated, preferably, by the wheels of a vehicle topositively move the gate from its closed to its open position, and viceversa.

The invention comprises the details of construction and combination ofparts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of thedevice. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a gate of any suitableconstruction, but preferably comprising end posts 2 and 3 and a centerpost 4, having wires stretched between the posts. The posts are pivotedat their lower ends and adapted to swing upon horizontal pivoting-rods5, journaled in or otherwise secured to horizontal base plates or beams6, fixed in any suitable manner at the surface of the ground. Thepivotal rods 5 project laterally beyond the posts longitudinally of thegate and are provided with suitable heads for the purpose to behereinafter described.

7 indicates a horizontal rod which extends at right angles to the gateadjacent to the central post 4; and is sustained for rotation insuitable bearings 8. Mounted on the rod for rotation thereby is abeveled gear 9, in mesh with a similar gear 10, fixed in any suitablemanner to the lower end of the central gatepost at. 11 and 12 indicatebevel-pinions mounted at the ends of the rod at opposite sides of thegate and at a suitable distance from the gate.

13 and 14 indicate two operating members situated one at either side ofthe gate adjacent to the respective ends of the rod 7. Each of theseoperating members comprises a short shaft 15, mounted for rotation in asuitable bearing 16 and provided at each end with a of the gate.

(No model.)

fixed wing or blade 17 or 18, which lie, respectively, in the path ofpassing Vehicles in position to be actuated by the wheels thereof in themanner and for the purpose hereinafter explained.

19 indicates a bevel-pinion mounted on the shaft 15 in mesh with thepinion at the end of the shaft 7 and adapted when the shaft 15 isrotated by the vehicle-wheels striking either of the blades 17 or 18 torotate the shaft 7 and through the medium of the gears 9 and 10positively swing the gate on its pivot from an open to a closedposition, or vice versa.

20 is a lever pivoted at 21 and lying in a plane parallel with thelongitudinal direction This lever is connected at its inner end with apulley 22, around which passes a cable or the like 23, connected at itsends to the upper and lower ends of the post 3. The opposite or outerend of the lever is provided with a suitable weight 24, which exert-s apressure on the lever and causes the same .to exert a suitable tensionon the gate through the medium of the pulley and cable, and thusmaintain the same in its normally closed position,except when positivelyopened by the mechanism above described. 25 is a similar cable connectedto the upper and lower ends of the post 2 and engaged between its endswith a fixed stop 26 and serving, as will be readily understood, toequalize the tension on the gate exerted by the weight and its attendantmechanism. Should the cable 25 become slack owing to expansion or othercauses, the gate is susceptible of a slight movement in the direction ofits length along the extended pivots 5, thus permitting the weight tomove the gate and compensate for such slack and maintain at all timesthe proper tension.

In operation, supposing the parts to be in the position illustrated inFig. 1 and a vehicle to be approaching the gate from the left, thevehicle-wheel will come in contact with the blade 17 and turn the samefrom a vertical to a horizontal position, thus rotating the shaft 15 andimparting motion therefrom through the medium of gear-pinions 19 and 11to the shaft 7. The shaft 7 in rotating will, through the medium ofgears 9 and 10, serve to positively swing the gate downward until it haspassed the center of and falls by gravity, to a horizontal positionflush with the surface of the ground in position to be passed over bythe wheels of the vehicle. After the vehicle has passed the gate itsWheels will come in contact with the blade 17 at the opposite end of theshaft and cause the same to swing from a vertical position, to which ithas been moved by the previous rotation of the shaft, to a horizontalposition, thus again rotating the shaft through the medium of gears 19and 12 in the opposite direction to cause the gears 9 and 10 topositively lift the gate from its horizontal'to its vertical position,the mechanism being assisted in this lifting action by means of theweight and its attendant mechanism. It will be seen that by locating theshaft 7 and its actuating mechanism in position to operate upon thecentral post of the gate the weight of the gate is more evenlydistributed and the movement of the ends of the gate is more uniformthan would be the case if the mechanism operated upon one of the endposts, with a consequent saving in wear upon the parts.

27 indicates a suitable bridgework constructed at the surface of theground in position to receive the gate when the same is moved to itshorizontal position in order to protect the gate from being damaged bythe vehicle-wheels.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I produce a device simple ofconstruction and inexpensive to erect, which is adapted to be actuatedby the wheels of a passing vehicle to positively open or close the gate,and in attaining these ends I do not limit or confine myself to thedetails herein shown and described, inasmuch as various changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationwith a gate pivoted at its lower end to swing in a vertical plane in adirection longitudinally of the roadway, of a gear carried by the gate,a rotary shaft, a gear carried thereby in mesh with the gear on the gatefor swinging the gate to an open or closed position when the shaft isrotated, means at one end of the shaft operable for rotating the same inone direction to open the gate, and means at the other end of the shaftoperable for rotating the same in the opposite direction to close thegate.

2. The combination with a gate pivoted at its lower end to swing in avertical plane in a direction longitudinally of the roadway, of a mainrotary shaft in gear connection with the gate and operable for swingingthe same on its pivot to an open or closed position, a secondary shaftat one end of the main shaft in gear connection therewith and operablefor rotating the main shaft in one direction to open the gate, and asecondary shaft at the opposite end of the main shaft in gear connectiontherewith and operable for rotating the main shaft in the oppositedirection to close the gate.

3. The combination with a gate pivoted at its lower end, of a gearcarried thereby, a main shaft, a gear carried thereby in mesh with thegear on the gate and adapted, when the shaft is rotated, to positivelyswing the gate on its pivot, a secondary shaft in gear connection withthe main shaft and adapted, when rotated, to rotate the main shaft, andmeans actuated by the vehicle-wheels for rotating the secondary shaft.

In testimony that I claim the forgoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM TERRY.

YVitnesses:

J. L. CLARK, J. T. INMON.

